Commercio della famiglia
by NDG The Kitty of Darkness
Summary: Everything has completely changed for young Dante. Lost his mother and brother all in one night, and his father is still missing. The only person left for support is his aunt, Tellix, who insists on training him. Can Dante finish what his father started?
1. Lost Loved One

Alright, here we go! My fist full-length DMC Fanfic I will try to update it as much as I can, but don't get on my case if I go a few weeks without updating XD

PLEASE READ!!

I've had alot of people get on my case for using my Original Characters. Yes, I am fully aware that Sparda DID NOT have a sister in the games, but Tellix is my OC and I can write her storyline anyway I want. That's why this form of writing is called fan FICTION. )

-Thank you

NDG

Finally regaining her senses, Tellix looked up at the bloodstained floor, recollecting the past few moments. A horde of demons had appeared out of nowhere and went straight for Eva. Instinctively, Eva did all she could to protect her sons, caring little for her own safety. Tellix rose to her feet and looked around the room, furniture had been slashed in two, tables overturned, and the cake that read "Happy Birthday Vergil and Dante" had been completely destroyed.

She looked towards the stairs, where the trail of blood led. Under the stairs she found a terrified little boy squeezing his mothers' hand. Eva slowly looked up at Tellix and gave her a weak smile, then gestured to Dante then towards the door, "Vergil..They took him.." Tellix took off her sweater and laid it across Eva and Dante, who curled up next to his mother, still squeezing her hand. Tears rolled down Dante's cheeks as he looked up at Tellix, who was now kneeling beside Eva.

"Please," Eva spoke weakly as she grasped Tellix's hand, "Find my son.." Tellix's face grew pale as she felt Eva's cold hand. Holding back tears, she nodded and turned towards the door and rose to her feet.

The dark streets took Tellix through twisting and turning paths that led her to nowhere in all directions made her heart sink. The odds of her find Vergil were slim. Finally she made her way to the center of the town. The elaborately built water fountain in the town square had been ripped from it's foundation and tossed to the side of the square like an old shoe. In it's place stood a large stone structure, with a swirling black portal in the center.

Through the portal Tellix could see the blurred image of a small boy being dragged away by a wicked sand demon. Bracing herself, she ran through the portal, and stepped into the demon world. The white marble floors spread out it all directions, and the stair cases twisted this way and that, connecting to platforms that either ran along the walls, or completely upside-down. Finally Tellix spotted the demon clambering up the stairs, dragging Vergil behind him. She admired Vergil's bravery, he did well to hid his fear and not one tear stained his cheeks.

A large sword with a skull carved into the hilt of the blade, which would later be named 'Rebellion' by Eva's youngest son, appeared in Tellix's hand as she started towards the demon, dragging the large blade across the ground which created a brilliant array of sparks that lit up the pale white walls and floor. Instictively, the demon twisted around and grabbed the blade and tossed it and Tellix aside effortlessly. Reacting quickly, she twisted around in the air and planted her feet on the wall. Catching herself, Tellix pushed off the wall and flew towards the demon, swinging Rebellion wildly.

The demon picked up Vergil by the back of his shirt and threw him across the room. To Tellix's relief, another demon caught the small boy before he slammed into the wall, but now she had two demons to deal with. Tellix swung down hard and sliced the demon in two as she landed, then turned towards the second demon. She tightened her grasp on the hilt and jumped off the stairs, heading straight for the demon holding the frightened Vergil. The demon shoved Vergil behind him and a large scythe appeared in his hands just in time to parry Tellix's heavy blow.

Tellix struggled to hold her ground as she pushed down on the blade, forcing the demon to his knees. Finally the shear force of Rebellion shattered the scythe, and sliced clean through the sand demon. Looking up, a shocked expression spread across Tellix's face as she looked frantically for Vergil. She turned towards the twisting staircases to find a dark knight clad in black armor holding Vergil tightly by the shoulder. The knight's dark countenace was barely visable, but a menacing grin could be seen under the heavy black helmet.

Tellix ran towards the knight and used the side of the stair case to push herself up, and as she came eye level with the knight, he reached out and grabbed her by the neck. Shocked by the sudden lack of air, Tellix dropped Rebellion and grabbed the knights hand's, trying to pry them from her neck. An erie and strained laughed escaped the knights throat as he squeezed harder. Growing bored with his prize, the knight threw Tellix across the room, slamming her against the wall. Finally able to catch her breath, Tellix rubbed the base of her neck and coughed hard as she looked up at the knight.

"Mundus.." She choked as she stared intently at him.

Mundus grinned menacingly then rose his free hand to the sky and laughed manically. A black haze enveloped him as he looked back down at Tellix. As the haze began to fade, Tellix struggled to her feet and stumbled towards them, hoping to grab Vergil before Mundus escaped. Vergil stared blankly at Tellix as she made her way towards him, then finally seeing his chance he pulled away from Mundus and went to jump off the stairs. Tellix spread out her arms and reached for Vergil, but Mundus grabbed Vergil by the back of his shirt and pulled him back.

Mundus stepped back and glared at Vergil angrily, then smirked as he looked down at Tellix. The black haze grew darker as Tellix came closer. Finally when the haze faded completely, Mundus and Vergil were gone.

Tellix fell to her knees and stared at the ground, banging her fist on the white marble floor. "I failed you, Sparda.." She muttered as she rose to her feet and turned towards the portal.

She stood in the bloodied streets staring at the house, trying to think of what to tell Eva. Gathering up what courage she had, Tellix went inside. She stopped in front of the stairs and looked down at Eva, who was breathing very slowly. Eva looked up at her and forced a weak smile. "You lost him..." Tellix looked down at the ground and nodded slightly. Eva gestured to Dante who was now fast asleep.

Eva ran her fingers through Dante's white hair and smiled, then closed her eyes. "Take Dante away from here...Don't bring him back.." She said softly as her breathing slowed down. Nodding slightly, Tellix pulled Dante out from under the sweater and picked him up. Immediatly, Dante groaned slightly then laid his head on Tellix's shoulder and fell back to sleep, completely oblivious to the situation.

Tellix turned away from Eva and started towards the door, staring intently at the black streets before her. She had failed to protect both Vergil and Dante, like she had promised her brother. But now she would do anything to keep Sparda's youngest boy safe.

This time, she won't fail.


	2. Morning Glory

Two weeks had passed since Dante had been forced to move away from the city. Ever since he lost his mother and brother that fateful night, things haven't been the same. The house was quiet and Tellix just wasn't the same anymore. She never said much and wasn't as cheerful as she was before.Dante sat in the kitchen staring into the living room as he played with his spoon in his soggy bowl of Cheerios. Tellix stood between the living room and the kitchen staring out the front door.

The house they rented was quite small, but it was big enough for the two of them. Ever since they moved in, Tellix had kept all the windows locked, the blinds shut and a blanket thrown over the window, to seal out all light. The first floor consisted of the living room and the kitchen, connected by a hallway leading from the front door to the stairs. The living room was the smallest and darkest room of the house. Only enough room for a small couch that sat three people, and a TV the size of a small kitchen sink. Above the couch was a solid oak board that mounted Rebellion. Dust covered the blade and filled the eye sockets and crevices of the elaborate skull carving on the hilt.

The kitchen was oddly shaped. A small table sat in the center of the kitchen against the wall under the window. The washer and dryer were cluttered in a closet much to small for both of them. The kitchen had very little counterspace, for the stove took up most of the room. Dante sat at the kitchen table, staring out the window, between the parts in the blanket. It was a grey, rainy day. Dante thought it was brighter in his dark house then it was outside.

He looked over at Tellix, who was still staring out the front door. "We'll be having someone coming to stay with us for a while. Her name is Sorrisa, she's from the coastal city of Fortuna, and my Apprentice." Tellix said, never looking away from the front door. Dante nodded and looked down at his soggy Cheerios. Finally Tellix pulled away from the front door and went into the living room. She took Rebellion down from the mount and produced a tattered blue rag from her pocket. She sat down on the couch and began cleaning the blade.

Dante stood up from the table and picked up his bowl. Carelessly, he dropped his bowl in the sink making a loud crashing sound, which earned a loud, "Be carefull!!" echoing from the living room. He rolled his eyes and turned towards the living room, where Tellix sat cleaning Rebellion. He stood before her and ran his fingers over the flat side of the blade, smiling at the smooth texture.

"This is your sword. Your father charged me with taking care of the sword until you were old enough to wield it." Tellix said as she glanced up at him and grinned. Everyday when Dante went off to school, Tellix went out, and was gone until he came home from school, and obviously today would be no different. Dante's eyes grew wider as he stared at the blade. The shocked expression twisted into a menacing grin.

"When will you teach me how to use it?" He said, still stroking the flat side of the blade. Tellix grinned and replied, "When you're old enough to hold it without it's weight overpowering you." Dante frowned, then quickly smiled, realizing Tellix's playfull proding.

"So it's mine..?" He said, staring at the blade in awe. He had always admired the blade, and would watch for hours when Tellix would train. And now to his delight, he would finally be able to use the sword he admired so much.

"Yep. Your father had two swords for both you and Vergil. Rebellion for you, and Yamoto for Vergil." Tellix replied, still cleaning the blade. Dante nodded in response and sat on the floor across from Tellix and stared at the floor. Tellix stopped wiping down the blade and looked over at Dante.

"You miss him..." She said as she stood up to put Rebellion on the mount. Dante nodded slightly, never looking up at Tellix. She sat down on the floor across from him and said, "I know how you feel. I've spent over 400 years with my brother, your father, and now all of a sudden he's just gone..It's hard." Dante looked up at her and forced a smile.

A loud beep could be heard from outside. Dante's bus for school had pulled up outside of his house. Sighing, Dante stood up and made his way towards the front door. He stopped and looked towards Tellix and grinned, "Thanks Aunt Tellix..For everything." She smiled at Dante and replied, "You'll be sure to pay me back for all this someday, right?"

Dante laughed and shook his head as he walked out the front door. Tellix jumped up from the couch and peeked through the parts in the blanket over the windows, watching Dante. As soon as the bus drove out of sight, she opened a drawer under the TV and produced two pistols, then turned and grabbed Rebellion and the sheath from the mount and headed for the door, as she came closer to the door it twisted into a swirling black portal.

"Time to get to work.." She muttered as she stepped through the portal, Rebellion slung over her back, and both pistols strapped to her thighs.


	3. Daily Routine

In the center of an open court yard, the roaring crowd of demons cheered as Tellix stepped up to the gallows. She looked out over the crowd and spotted a snickering demon scrambling up the stairs of the fortress, struggling to drag the monstrous sword behind him. Tellix winced as Rebellion was banged and scratched on the steps while the demon stumbled up the stairs. She stood on the gallows and looked up at the noose, then looked back towards the demons below her. The demons fiddled with the black pistol, poking each other with the barrels and accidentally shooting one another. Tellix rolled her eyes as they began fussing over the black pistol, then glanced back up at the noose. The executioner demon, who was as smart as the demons before Tellix, came up behind her and stuck her head through the noose.

Tellix looked down at her hands, which were poorly tied together in front of her, and began untying the rope as the Executioner rested his hand on the lever. Unknown to the demons, but in their rush to get her to the gallows they forgot to remove her second pistol. In a flash, Tellix grabbed the noose and pulled herself up, then threw her legs up over her head, and onto the wooden beam above her. She crouched on the beam and pulled the pistol from it's concealed holster in her sweater and aimed it at the executioner. Gunshots echoed through the courtyard, followed by the loud crash as the executioners large body crashed through the wooden gallows.

The crowd roared loudly, seemingly amused by the executioners death. Finally a resistance formed and started for Tellix. She grinned at the oncoming attacks, then jumped off the gallows and landed right in the middle of the crowd. She looked up to see the two demons before her, one with countless bullet holes in it's face, and the other holding the pistol completely upside-down. She grinned and took the pistol from them, then shot them both in the foreheads, obviously for kicks, seeing as how they were both immune to the damage.

A demon lunged for her with amazing speed, but being the masterful demon hunter she was, Tellix nimbly evaded the oncoming attack. As the demon flew past her, she grabbed his shoulder and squeezed hard. Moments later the demon fell to the ground, motionless. Tellix picked up the demons scythe and glanced up to the fortess walls and grinned. The dimwitted demon dragged Rebellion along behind him as he made his way around the fortress.

Tellix smiled and looked towards an oncoming demon. He swung his scythe with precise speed as he came closer to Tellix and an erie screech escaped his throat. With perfect timing, Tellix jumped on the flat edge of the scythe as it whistled past her, then pushed off the scythe. Now in the air, she used the heads of the hapless demons and made her way across the courtyard, towards the demon dragging Rebellion. As she came to the edge of the courtyard, she started running at an angle towards the wall. She used the blocks protruding from the wall to run along the side of the wall. The dimwitted demon stumbled past her atop the wall, with Rebellion dangling behind him in the sheath. As he passed by, Tellix reached up and grabbed the strap of the sheath and pulled herself onto the wall.

Feeling the extra weight, the demon looked over his shoulder just in time to see Tellix's fist. A painful wail escaped his throat as he fell to the ground, his face severly indented. Tellix picked up Rebellion and looked over the crowd and smiled. A loud beeping eruppted from her wrist. The LED numbers on the watch read 2:45, Dante would be home from school soon. She looked up at the crowd and shrugged, then turned away from them. A black portal ripped open and enveloped her.

She stepped out of the portal and into her living room, just in time for Dante to come dashing through the front door. He slid to a stop and stared at her with confusion. Her blood red hair was dirty and her clothes were ripped, and she had Rebellion strapped to her back with both the pistols protruding from their concealed hoslters in her sweater.

"What have you been up to?" Dante asked, still staring in confusion. Tellix grinned and shook her head, then replied, "Mmmm..I was..So how was school?" Dante tilted his head and forced a smile, then shook his head and went upstairs. Sighing with relief, Tellix unstrapped Rebellion and plopped down on the couch. She closed her eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep.


	4. Summer Training

First weekend of his Summer Vacation. Dante rolled over in his bed and smiled, no more alarm clocks and crabby bus drivers for three whole months. All sounded so perfect to him. He hugged his pillow and scratched his head, then burried his face in his pillow. The heavy black curtain over his window gave his room an erie dark feeling, which he liked, especially for sleeping.

Just then the door swung open. The bright light from the hallway lit up his messy room. Dante growled and turned his head, only to see Tellix standing in the doorway with a wide grin on her face. He glanced over at the clock and sighed. 7:45.

"Tellix, it's Summer Vacation and you're waking me up THIS early?" He growled as he sat up from his bed. "What do you want?"

"Best get up, you'll be late for Summer School." Tellix said as she turned around and headed for the stairs. Dante's eyes grew wide, and his face turned red. As soon as Tellix was out of view he picked up his pillow, burried his face in it, and screamed as loud as he could.

He grabbed his trademark red shirt and pulled it over his head and started down the hall. He stopped in front of the bathroom and tilted his head. A small twitching creature sat in front of five rolls of toilet paper, seeming very confused. It resembled a small cat, but it sat up straight and used it's front paws like hands. A pair of small bat-like wings protruded from it's back and a scaley blue crest stretched from it's nose, up it's forehead and down it's back, ending at the base of it's tail.

The creature stared up at Dante and twitched it's ear, then continued examining the rolls of toilet paper. Dante shook his head and continued on down the hallway. Obviously the creature was a demon, which also meant that Tellix was fully aware it was here.

He stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen. Tellix was sitting at the table, reading the morning paper. Dante raised an eyebrow, Tellix never read the paper. What's going on..? She looked up at him and smiled as he sat down.

"If you haven't noticed, I was kidding about the Summer School thing." She said, smiling mockingly. Dante shook his head and put his hand on his forehead. "You should've seen your face!" She continued, now laughing.

Dante wiped his face with his hand and glared at Tellix between his fingers. "So...Have you given any thought to my question?" She asked, seeming eager for his answer. He fiddled with the side of the table and nodded slightly, then looked out the window.

"So you DO want to be a demon hunter? Why's that?" Tellix said, still staring at Dante intently. He looked down at his lap and stared at the picture he had produced from his pocket. The picture of his mother was faded and the edges had been folded multiple times in all directions. He thought about the last time he saw her and winced.

Tellix put her hand over his and smiled. Dante looked up and smiled slightly, then stared back at the picture. "I promised her.." He looked back up at Tellix and showed her the picture of Eva. "The day she died, I promised I would hunt down the demons that did this to her."

He sank down in his chair and stared at the picture. Tellix nodded slightly and stood up. She went into the living room and took Rebellion down from the mount, then turned towards Dante, who had turned around in his chair to see her. Tellix held Rebellion out to him and smiled. "Are you ready to start hunting those demons?"

Dante looked up at Rebellion, then glanced over at Tellix and smiled. "If you'll show me how." Tellix smiled and beckoned him over. He stood up and made his way over to her, but as he came close she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pointed to the floor. The red carpet twisted and shifted into a swirling red portal. Tellix handed Rebellion to Dante and pushed him into the portal.

Dante stepped out of the portal and into a wide courtyard. Various obstacles were spread around the courtyard. He turned to face the portal as Tellix stepped out behind him. She grinned and walked over to one of the obstacles. A square brick wall rose about nine feet off the ground, and at the top of the wall was a white flag tied to a pole. Dante stared up at wall and tilted his head.

"What's this for?" He asked. Tellix grinned and pointed to the flag, "You have to bring the flag to me." Dante looked at her with wide eyes and laughed, "How am I supposed to get that? It's way up there, and I'm way down here.." Tellix smiled and replied, "You'll have to run up the wall." Then started towards another obstacle.

She stopped in front of two platforms that resembled bike ramps. That were elevated at least three feet off the ground, and the gap between them was about seven feet long. Above the pit was another white flag tied to a pole stuck in the wall. "After you learn how to run up walls, you'll need to learn how to run across walls." Tellix said, then pointed at the black sludge at the bottum of the pit.

"What is that?!" Dante shouted. "It's used to help your training. You want to run across the wall and not fall in the sludge." Dante covered his nose and gagged, the smell errupting from the sun-baked sludge was overwhelming. "Ughh! What is that stuff?"

"It's a mixture of water, mud, sewage, and tar." Tellix replied and headed towards another obstacle. "That's disgusting!" Dante exclaimed and started after Tellix. She looked over her shoulder at him and replied, "All the more reason you don't want to fall in it."

They spent another thirty minutes going over all the obstacles, and what they were used for. Dante stood before the nine foot wall and smiled. He thought about how he would be able to run up the wall, like he were running up a hillside. He looked over his shoulder at Tellix and smiled, then started towards the first obstacle to begin his training.


	5. Vanguards

It was a dark summer night in the month of June, and it was also Dante's first night Hunting. He had spent seven weeks training with Tellix and was looking forward to the night's Hunt. Sorrisa, the girl from Fortuna, had finally come to stay with them. Her pale silver hair was pulled up in two buns, and her pale blue eyes looked as if they were dead. They showed no emotion and resembled an endless pit if one were to look into them.

Though her eyes showed no emotion, she was a very cheerful person. Perhaps alittle too cheerful for Dante's liking, but he admired her skill. Durring her years spent in Fortuna, the Holy Knights' of the Order of the Sword had trained her well. Her agility and speed was impressive, but Dante's demon reflexes were uncomparable to Sorrisa's.

Tellix walked ahead of Dante and Sorrisa. The courtyard was full of overgrown hedges, once beautiful gardens now overgrown with weeds and thorns. The cobblestone street that twisted and turned through the rotten garden's was stained with blood. Every few steps, Dante would catch a glimpse of small mangled beasts scuttling across the ground to avoid being stepped on.

Clad in a black jacket and pair of pants, both decorated with dark blue stripes, and her long blood-red hair tied up in a bun, Tellix made her way through the twisting garden. Instead of Rebellion, she wielded a massive custom made katana. She finally trusted Dante enough and allowed him to use Rebellion. She squeezed the hilt of the katana tightly, then reached behind her and grabbed Dante. He stumbled slightly as she pulled him up, then looked up at her curiously.

"Something wrong?" He asked, tightening his grip of Rebellion. Tellix stopped in her tracks and looked down at Dante.

"Do you know how to tell a demon from a human?"

"Not really..."

Tellix grinned and continued down the path. "First: Their Heartrate. When a human is afraid or nervous, their heartrate goes up. A demon's heartrate does not. Got it memorized?" Dante nodded in response.

"Second: Their eyes. Along with their heartrate, a human's eyes can tell you if their afraid, but a demon's does not. Their eyes are empty and show you nothing." Tellix looked over her shoulder at Sorrisa and examined her eyes. Sorrisa had a demon's eyes.

"And third: Sweat. Demon's don't sweat. No matter how hard they fight, or how afraid they are, they don't sweat. Remember these three tips, they'll save you one day." Dante grinned and nodded.

A black figure flashed overhead, but one thing was clearly visable. A large blue-edge scythe. Tellix grabbed both Dante and Sorrisa and pulled them into the thick bushes. She peeked through a part in the bushes and grinned.

"That's a Hell Vanguard. They're pretty strong, but don't let that fool you. They're not the smartest or the fastest demons." Dante stared at the Vanguard and smiled. Had not even started fighting, and he was already excited.

Without a word, Tellix pushed Dante through the bushes, and right into the Vanguard's path. The Vanguard wailed mournfully, then charged for him. An old stone wall stood on Dante's left, which he quickly made use of. In a burst of speed, he ran towards the Vanguard and in a flash, he was up on the wall running right over the Vanguard's head. So wrapped up in swinging it's massive scythe, the Vanguard didn't notice Dante's quick dash up the wall.

Taking the Vanguard's blind spot for granted, Dante thrust Rebellion through the demon's back. Blood spurted from the wound and covered both Dante and Rebellion. The Vanguard let out a painful wail, then spun around and swung for Dante, which he quickly evaded by jumping over the scythe. Using his momentum, Dante thrust his sword downwards, slicing the Vanguard in two.

He landed nimbly, then looked towards the bushes, smiling triumphantly. Tellix and Sorrisa stepped out from behind the bushes and smiled. Dante threw Rebellion over his shoulder and smiled as Tellix examined the dead Vanguard. Suddenly the two halves of the Vanguard twitched, then rose up. Tellix jumped backwards and held the katana out in front of her. Dante only smiled, seeming pleased with the Vanguard's come-back.

The halves of the Vanguard flickered, then shifted. Before they knew it, two fully formed Vanguard's were standing before them, swinging their scythes madly. Instantly, Dante charged for the first Vanguard, swinging the bloodied Rebellion precisely, which was surprising due to his small stature. Tellix smiled at Dante's enthusiasm, and started towards the second Vanguard. She never charged into the center of a battle, she walked into the center, staring her opponents down.

As she neared the Vanguard, it swung it's scythe for her. The Vanguard gave a quick howl in confusion as it's scythe met with a hard surface. The surface turned out to be Tellix's hand, which held the tip of the scythe inches from her face. She looked past the scythe and smiled menacingly at the Vanguard, who wailed mournfully. In a flash, Tellix ripped the scythe from the demon's hands, and stepped backwards.

She began swinging the scythe around in a slanted circle, barely scraping the cobblestone ground, and started towards the Vanguard. As she came closer she spun around and swung the scythe upwards, like a pendullum. As she did so, the scythe scraped the cobblestones, creating a bright display of sparks, then finally planted the scythe in the Vanguard's chest.

A pained wail escaped it's throat as it fell to the ground, lifeless. She sighed, seeming displeased with the Vanguard's weakness, then looked towards Dante. He slashed the Vanguard repeatedly, never giving it a chance to retaliate. Finally he swung Rebellion with such speed and force, that he lopped the Vanguard's head right off it's shoulders. The head flew through the air and landed in Sorrisa's hands, who seemed quite interested in the head.

She held it up and smiled, then said, "Look Dante! It's smiling!" Dante looked at the head and gave Sorrisa a sarcastic smirk, then turned to face Tellix. She gave him a small smile, then waved her hand in the air. A shimmering black portal ripped open before them.

"After you, Demon Hunter." She said, looking down at Dante. He smiled triumphantly and strutted through the portal. Sorrisa started towards the portal, but Tellix stopped her.

"Nerezza came to see me the other day..She said to tell you that she's close. Whatever that means." Sorrisa looked up at Tellix and smiled, obviously happy to hear from her sister. Nerezza was a full blooded demon, but Sorrisa was only half, which Nerezza looked down on her for her human heiritage but still respected the fact they were family.

Sorrisa nodded, then happily skipped through the portal. Tellix looked back towards the twisting gardens. A dark figure stood on the wall, staring at her intently. She smiled as the figure turned away, then turned towards the portal. She gave one last smirk as she stepped through the portal and into her home.


	6. The Island

Two years had passed since Dante started Hunting. He had started taking jobs from a local Mercanary gang, and eventually the gang grew tired of his sharp tounge and refused to make anymore deals with him. Apparently they had 'tried' to do away with him numerous times, but unfortunately for them his demon hieritage proved to be too much for them.

Tellix, on the other hand, wasn't too supportive of Dante's new route as a Mercenary, but didn't get in his way much. Hard to believe that her ten year old nephew was a 'Supernatural Bounty Hunter', the childish name Dante had given himself. Apparently he had been watching too much TV.

Ever since the band of Mercenaries, "The Black Canaries" did away with their contracts with Dante, a man named Enzo had started feeding Dante his jobs. Enzo was a rather large man, and had grown used to Dante's piercing insults, but all around he was a good guy, and sometimes he even sent Tellix off on jobs.

Enzo had recently assigned both Dante and Tellix to a job, that he considered was 'Highly Confidential'. The contract had sent them to a ruined Island a couple hundred miles off the coast from the Florida Keys. The contracted stated two German Archeologists had mysteriously vanished on a strange un-named Island. Dante and Tellix arrived at the Island, Dante was glad to finally be off the wretched plane that brought them here. Oh sure, Dante could skip across a wall and over a bottumless pit, and even jump off the Empire State Building back home and land right on his feet without breaking a sweat, but he couldn't fly in a plane.

A small make-shift hut was perched on a rock in the center of the Island, which apparently was where the 'Demon Lord' would be found.

"So, tell me. Have you chosen a name for your Demon Hunting Agency?" Tellix smirked sarcastically, earning her a dirty stare from Dante. He threw back his head and grinned. "Not yet, but I'll be sure to pick a good name for it when the time comes."

"I could've sworn you would name it 'The Fluffy Pink Pony'." Tellix said with a mocking grin. Dante shot her another dirty look, then rolled his eyes. His scruffy white hair had grown so long, almost reaching his shoulders, and everytime Tellix would go to cut it, he gave her this long speach on how his long white hair would one day be his trademark.

The ruined hut was, in Dante's words, 'made out of crap', and Tellix somewhat agreed with him. The rotted wooden walls were reinforced with a disgustion brown substance that was hardened to add durability, and the thatched roof looked as if it was sewn together with hair, but who the hair belonged to was unknown to both Dante and Tellix.

Tellix knocked on the rotten door. A scraggy old woman opened the door and gave them a toothy - or rather - toothless smile. Dante's face contorted as her putrid breath hit him in the face. The woman welcomed them in, she seemed nice enough, what was Enzo thinking? Sending them to terrorize a sweet old toothless lady?

The lady sat across from them at the small round table, which took up a large portion of the house. There were unusual trophies pinned to the wall with swords and daggers, and on the table was a glowing crystal ball with various bones and nik-naks spread around it.

"My name is Dellani, by the looks of you both, you're Demon Hunters." The old woman said in high-pitched, cracking voice that made Dante's teeth hurt.

"Yes, speaking of Demons, that's why we're here. Our...err..Manager gave us this contract. The information in it sent us here." Tellix said as she handed the contract to Dellani. She took the contract in her crooked bony fingers and read through it. After a few moments she nodded and handed it back, then said, "Ahh yes. A few months ago a man named Neilson Wolfenzer came to the Island with his apprentice, Albert Steinferd. They stayed here for a while, then just up and left one day. They said they planned on staying here for their research, but just disappeared without a word."

"Any idea why they left in such a hurry?" Tellix asked, seeming interested in the woman's story. Dante just rolled his eyes and fiddled with a 9mm shell casing he carried in his pocket.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I think it has something to do with those tunnels they dug beneath the Island. They were archeologists and were interested in the Island's unique structure." Dellani continued.

Tellix nodded and rose from her seat, then started towards the door. "Where are you going?" Dellani asked. Dante stood up and started after Tellix. "Perhaps we should investigate these Tunnels for ourselves, and see what we can find." Tellix said over her shoulder as she stepped out of the hut. Dante breathed in the fresh ocean air, and finally realized how much it stunk in Dellani's hut.

It was a steep climb up the rocky hillside to the Tunnel's entrance. Ruined camp equipment was scattered everywhere, and a trail of blood led into the depths of the tunnels. Tellix was the first to step forward and go into the tunnels, while Dante stayed behind and went through the camp equipment. He produced a bloodied journal from a bag and flipped through the pages.

One of the pages caught his eye, it read, "June 14th 1997. Me and my apprentice Steinferd have been very successfull so far. The tunnels beneath this Island are marvelous! Instead of just finding rocks and veins, we found a temple buried beneath the Island! Murals were painted on the wall that told a story. In the first part of the temple, the murals told the story of an extremely powerful Demon Swordsman, who rose up against the Demon Lord to save mankind. Other murals told stories of lesser demons that were so powerless, humans were able to bend them to their will. Deeper into the Temple showed even more interesting murals. They told the story of how Humans were able to manipulate the timelines with the help of the demons. This is an amazing Archeological find!"

Dante smirked at the story of the Demon Swordsman, then continued reading. "This is unbelievable! My apprentice and I have discovered how to control the demon spirits that inhabbit this Island! We're able to manipulate the demons, and have even developed the ability to manipulate timelines! While this is an amazing find in itself, it seems when we unlocked these abilities, a monstrous demon was set lose on the Island. We've been tracking the demon, but it seems to have eluded us. Also, a strange old woman has made her home on the Island. It's strange, she wasn't here when we arrived."

Dante raised an eye brow at the journal entry and closed the journal, then headed into the Tunnels. After a long twisting path of rock tunnels, it opened up into a great hall with elaborate murals painted on the walls, just as Wolfenzer's journal had suggested. He looked up at the large mural of the Demon Swordsman. In his hand he held a monstrous sword, which Dante recognized from somewhere.

He continued onward, finding Tellix in the deepest part of the temple. She was staring at the mural intently, something about the mural bugged her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She looked down at Dante who handed her the journal. She flipped through the pages and nodded slightly, then looked up at the mural once more. It showed the outline of a huge monster, then the paintings of several lesser demons around it.

"That monster Wolfenzer spoke of in the journal, must be what goes in this mural. Strange that a mural would come to life. But with demons.." She looked down at Dante, who interuppted her and said with a wide grin, "Anything can happen.." Tellix grinned and turned towards the exit, to see Dellani standing before them. Dellani's grey eyes were now radianting a dark red, and a wicked smile was twisted across her face.

Within seconds, Dellani's body twisted into a terrible beast. Dellani's new form resembled a giant dog-like beast with seven red eyes acrossed it's forehead. One large eye in the center, and the other small six eyes around it. A pair of twisting horns protruded from it's forehead, and it's gaping jaw was full of razor sharp teeth that were stained with blood.

Tellix drew her katana while Dante drew his trusty pistols, which he had named Ebony and Ivory, and held one of the over at an angle, aimed at the beast's forehead. The beast roared and charged for them, swinging it's massive claws wildly.

During the crazy battle, no one noticed the mural of the beast twist into a black portal. Upon seeing the portal, the beast swiped it's massive claw towards Tellix and Dante, knocking them both into the black portal.

Tellix flew out of the portal and landed on her back. Moments later Dante followed and landed right on top of Tellix. She weezed as Dante knocked the wind out of her, then gave him a shove, pushing him off her.

"Hey, thanks. If it weren't for you, that would've hurt." Dante said with a smirk on his face. Tellix shot him a dirty look then felt the ground. Oddly, it was cold and wet. It was snow.

She stood up and looked around the area. Two colossal mountains rose up in the distance, and snow poured from the skies. Down the hill before them was a small camp. Stone buildings were covered in snow and the flags were tattered.

"Where are we?" Dante asked, staring at the encampment. Tellix's eyes grew wide as she pointed at the flag. A white circle was sewn onto the center of the blood red flag, and in the center of the circle was a black design. A Swastika.

"We're in Nazi Germany." Tellix said, staring at the flag in disbelief.


	7. Reichweite des Vermögens

Dante's eyes grew wide as he stared at the Nazi flag flying high above his head. He couldn't believe his eyes. Two seconds ago he was standing in a buried temple, and now he's standing under a Nazi flag.

Tellix paid no mind to the flag and made a B-line for the mountains. The tower of a large black castle was all that was visable from the mountains. The hair of the back of Dante's neck stood up as the castle came into full view. The walls were crumbling, skeletons hung from the windows suspended hundreds of feet above the ground and blood stained the cobblestone road leading up the mountain.

The bodies of two Nazi soldiers were propped up against the wall, apparently they were guarding the large rusted door to the castle. Tellix removed the uniforms from the soldiers, then pushed their corpses into the mote below them.

"Put this on," She said as she handed a uniform to Dante. "No doubt this castle is probably swarming with Nazi's, we wouldn't want them slowing us down."

Dante took the uniform and sighed. _Perfect. This can't end well. _He thought to himself as he donned the uniform. It was quite large on him, but it would have to do for now.

The rusted doors swung inward and made an erie creaking noise. Dante thought the outside of the castle was intimidating, the inside was even worse. Seven or eight more soldiers were dead inside, and for every dead soldier a savage Msira was haunched over it's corpse, staring intently at Tellix and Dante.

At the end of the hallway, a man clad in a Nazi uniform was coming towards the two of them. He was smiling, but there was a sinister look in his eyes. The Msira stared at him intently, but quickly backed away as he came by them.

"Ah! You must be the replacements Steinferd promised." He said, still smiling. Dante's heart sank, but Tellix's eyes lit up. "Yes, but he didn't say what we were replacements for.."

"Ahh..Come with me then. My name is Dr. Neil Wolfenzer." He said, leading them through the halls. They were littered with countless bodies of Nazi soldiers and even more Msira demons.

"My name is Serra, and this is my nephew, Tony." Tellix said, earning a surprised glance from Dante. Wolfenzer nodded in response and continued onwards, never looking back. Dante pulled on Tellix's arm and whispered in her ear, "Tony?! Serra?! What's going on here?"

"Obviously Wolfenzer is attempting to rewrite the Nazi War and it seems we're the only ones who can stop this. It would probably be best if we did not use our names. We could severely damage the timeline, if Wolfenzer hasn't done so already." She replied, struggling to keep her voice down. The empty halls echoed any noises made.

Wolfenzer brought them into a large room. It was a lab full of glass capsules with demons trapped inside them. On the stone table in the center of the room sat a small furry black demon. It looked like a cross between a cat and a bat, and seemed to react happily to Tellix and Dante's presence.

"This is where we've been experimenting with the dämonen here in the castle. Unfortunately for Dr. Laichzeit, the dämonprobestück proved to be too much for him." Wolfenzer said as he gestured to a mangled corpse in the back of the room. "Steinferd sent you to replace him. But he didn't say you were bringing your nephew." He stared at Dante suspiciosly, but quickly smiled as Dante returned his stare with a dirty look.

Tellix smiled and patted Dante, or rather Tony, on the back. Wolfenzer nodded and stepped back into the hallway. "I'll leave you and Tony to your research."

The sound of the heavy door slamming echoed through the room as Wolfenzer left them. The demons were sealed in thick glass containers, and everyone of them seemed none too pleased with being locked in there. Dante walked up to one of the containers and examined the beast within. It was curled up with it's massive arms across it's chest and it's thick, muscular legs pulled up under it's arms. It seemed to be asleep.

Dante tapped on the glass and smirked as the demon's blood red eyes shot open. A gurgled growl escaped it's throat as it stared at him.

"Best not bother the Orangguerra. Those are very powerful demons and will crush you in a matter of seconds." Dante smirked mockingly at the demon and nodded to Tellix, then sat down with her at the stone table.

The small demon on the table looked up at Tellix, and to Dante's surprise, smiled at her. "I didn't think I would see you here." The demon said in a strained voice, pronoucing every word with utmost care. Tellix nodded at the demon and smiled.

"Didn't think you would be here either, Shardra. I thought you were with Nerezza?" She said, stroking Shardra's black fur. "I am with Nerezza." Shardra replied, then hopped down from the table. She looked up at Dante and grinned, then turned towards the door.

The door was seven times bigger then Shardra, and Tellix had no doubt that Wolfenzer had locked it. Shardra pawed at the door several times, then proceeded to _walk_ straight through it. Dante smirked, then rested his chin on his arms. "Show off."

"You know Tellix...This is all so familiar.." Dante said out of nowhere, earning a strange look from Tellix. "Of course it's familiar..You've read about this war in History books."

"That's not what I mean," He continued, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "This castle..the demons...Nazi's..I've heard this story somewhere.." Tellix giggled slightly then stood up. She stared at the large capsules containing the 'dämonprobestück' Wolfenzer spoke of.

"How will we get home?" Dante asked, staring blankly at the demons. He frowned when Tellix shrugged, seeming unsure of the situation herself. She forced a smile, trying to offer some form of silent reassurance.

"Better get some sleep. We'll have alot to do tomorrow." Tellix said as she made herself comfortable on the cot in the corner of the lab. Dante nodded slightly and climbed onto the cot opposite from Tellix.

The bedding on the cot was rough, and the pillow smelled horrible. But nonetheless, Dante laid his head down and closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to to sleep.

Tellix on the other hand, sat up in her cot, leaning against the wall. She eyed the captive demons intently, her right hand resting on her left knee, gripping Ebony tightly, her finger just above the trigger guard. She knew the glass containing the demons was far too weak to contain them, they could break out any moment if they wished.

It didn't look like Tellix would get any sleep tonight.


	8. The Piano

Dante trudged through the hallways littered with the countless bodies of soldiers. He stopped in the center of a four-way crossing and looked to his left. The dim morning light through the scuffed window was the only source of light in the bloodied hallway.

But the dead Nazi's, or morning sunrise wasn't what interested Dante. Moments before he awoke to the loud but soft, soothing sound of a piano. Luckily Tellix had finally fallen asleep, otherwise she wouldn't have let him leave the lab.

He made his way through the twisted castle, going up the crumbling stairs to the Towers, and even making his way to the basement. But not matter where he went in the castle, the sound of the piano never diminished. But to his annoyance, it never became any louder then a muffled sound.

The dog-like Msira demons sat in the corners of every hallway. They made eye contact with Dante and stared at him intently as he came into view, but as he passed by them, fear enveloped them, forcing them to break eye contact. This puzzled Dante, but nonetheless he continued on.

Finally the sound grew louder and less muffled. Becoming more excited, Dante's steady pace burst into a slight run as he neared the source of the sound. The massive halls echoed his foot steps, and the gargoyle statues perched atop the large pillars watched him with the dead, stone eyes. He stopped before a colossal door, the sound of the piano emanated from behind the door.

He pushed the door open and stared into the room. It resembled what was once a chapel. The room was white, but the years of dirt and blood were caked onto the ivory walls, turning it from ivory to a dirty grey. The blue pews were ruined, most of them broken in half. What caught Dante's eye, was that most of the broken pews seemed to make a sloppy trail around the chapel.

The tattered blue rug lead from the door to the end of the chapel, ending before a massive organ. The once white organ keys were stained with blood, and a large majority of the keys were missing. Now the piano music was much louder, but it didn't seem to be coming from this room.

It was coming from under the organ.

Dante circled the organ a few times, staring at the bottum of the organ. The sound grew slightly louder as he circles around behind it. He planted his hands on the side of the organ and pushed as hard as his small body would allow him to. It moved a few inches but jammed. He shifted and pushed with his shoulder, but it proved useless.

The gap between the floor and the organ was only about four inches wide, but it was wide enough to look through. The piano music grew even louder as he lay on the floor near the gap to get a better look. He could barely see the edge of the shiny black piano. The black surface of the piano reflected the lights and objects in the room, giving Dante a better look into the room.

He shifted to get comfortable and accidentally smacked his hand on the side of the organ. The organ strings vibrated and the loud noise echoed through the chapel. Then suddenly the piano stopped playing. Dante rolled away from the gap and cupped his hand over his mouth. Quiet footsteps could be heard below. Dante peeked over the edge, staring down at the piano. A girl about fifteen or sixteen stood directly below Dante, staring right up at him.

Her black hair showed tints of dark green and was pulled over her left shoulder in a tight braid. She was wearing a long black coat, and wore a blue tank top with black pants. Her dark green eyes were focused on Dante.

"Snooping around, are we?" She said with a slight British accent. The girl smiled at him, a sinister smile, then shook her head and turned towards the piano. Dante strained to see her as she moved out of sight.

A loud click echoed through the room, then the organ began moving a few moments later. The organ slide backwards, opening a gap large enough for Dante to slide through. He landed with a loud thud, then stood up and examined the room. The brown walls were blackened with dirt, and the only door in the room was way too small for the piano to fit through.

The piano, infact, was the cleanest object in the whole room. It's shiny black surface resembled a pool of clear liquid swirling in a black container. Dante reached out to touch the piano, which earned him a glare from the girl. He flashed her a mischievous grin, then leaned against the wall.

"What's this doing down here? Why is it even in a place like this?" Dante asked her, still staring at the piano's black surface. "I'm not sure. It was here when I arrived." She ran her fingers over the piano and glanced up at Dante.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the Lab?" Dante grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I guess. But I woke up to the sound of the piano." The girl tilted her head, surprised and confused. "How did you hear it? This room here was once a torture chamber, they didn't want any sound getting out of this room. It's sound proof."

Dante swallowed and looked around the room once more. For the first time he noticed the floor was severely stained with blood. The girl grinned and patted him on the back. "Better head back to the Lab. Wolfenzer doesn't like people wandering around." Her accent sounding thicker then before. Dante nodded and started towards the door. He stopped and looked over his shoulder and grinned, "My name's Da..Tony. Tony Redgrave."

The girl nodded and replied, "Logos. Nerezza Logos." Dante grinned and twisted the nob on the dor, then stepped out into the hallway.


End file.
